HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The '' John Grandisson Triptych'', displaying on two small escutcheons the arms of Bishop Grandisson. British Museum John de Grandisson (1292 – 16 July 1369), also spelt Grandison, was
Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.
, in Devon, England, from 1327 to his death in 1369. Several works of art associated with him survive in the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...
, the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
and the Louvre in Paris.


Biography

Grandisson was born in 1292 at
Ashperton Ashperton is a small village, parish and former manor about twelve miles east of the City of Hereford, in Herefordshire, England. The village is on the A417 road, the route of a Roman road from the City of Gloucester, in rolling countryside. Vil ...
near
Hereford Hereford () is a cathedral city, civil parish and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, south-west of Worcester, England, Worcester and north-west of Gloucester. ...
, the second son of five of Sir William Grandisson (died 1335). Sir William was the heir of Otto de Grandson (died 1328), close personal friend of
King Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...
, and head of the English branch of a family that was based at Grandson Castle, now in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. His mother, Sybil (died 1334), was a younger daughter and co-heir of Sir John de Tregoz.Audrey Erskine
''Grandison, John (1292–1369)''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition (subscription required). Retrieved 2020-02-29.
He studied at Oxford in 1306, then from 1313 to 1317 he studied theology at the
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
under Jacques Fournier, who later became
Pope Benedict XII Pope Benedict XII ( la, Benedictus XII, french: Benoît XII; 1285 – 25 April 1342), born Jacques Fournier, was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1334 to his death in April 1342. He was the third Avignon pope. Benedict was a careful ...
. He returned to study at Oxford 1326–7. Later in
Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune had ...
he became the
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intelligence ...
and friend of
Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected b ...
, who mentored him and sent him on
diplomatic mission A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
s. The Pope rewarded Grandisson by making him
prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of th ...
at York, Wells, and Lincoln, and, in October 1310,
Archdeacon of Nottingham The Archdeacon of Nottingham is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham, who exercises supervision of clergy and responsibility for church buildings within the Archdeaconry of Nottingham. Histor ...
. When his elder brother Peter died in 1358 without an heir, John became the head of the family.


Bishop of Exeter

Grandisson was nominated as
Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.
on 10 August 1327 and was consecrated on 18 October 1327 at Avignon. His
enthronement An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. Enthronements may also feature as part of a larger coronation rite. ...
at Exeter was on 22 August 1328. He then differenced his paternal coat of arms by substituting a bishop's
mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
for the central eaglet on the bend. The
Diocese of Exeter The Diocese of Exeter is a Church of England diocese covering the county of Devon. It is one of the largest dioceses in England. The Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter is the seat of the diocesan Bishop of Exeter. It is part of the Provinc ...
was in some disarray after the murder of Bishop Stapeldon in 1326 and the two succeeding short-lived bishoprics of
James Berkeley James Berkeley (died 1327) was Bishop of Exeter for a period of three months in 1327, a term of office cut short by his death. Origins Berkeley was a younger son of Thomas de Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley (1245-1321), ''The Wise'', feudal baron ...
and John Godeley. On his arrival in Exeter, Grandisson encountered a number of problems including debt, hostility from his chapter, and poor relations with
Hugh de Courtenay Sir Hugh de Courtenay (1251–1292) was the son and heir of John de Courtenay, feudal baron of Okehampton, Devon, by Isabel de Vere, daughter of Hugh de Vere, 4th Earl of Oxford. His son inherited the earldom of Devon. Early years Sir Hugh de ...
, later to become Earl of Devon. However, his registers record his forceful personality which exhibited itself in his diligent enforcement of discipline, the suppression of abuses and punishment of offenders. On the other hand he took great care for the education and religion of the
laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non- ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a lay ...
, encouraging interest in St Sidwell and urging the lives of Cornish saints to be recorded. His principal residence was on his manor of Chudleigh and he was evidently an unwilling traveller, only rarely leaving his diocese to attend parliament or an ecclesiastical convocation. From Bishop Stapledon, Grandisson inherited a partly-rebuilt
Cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...
. In December 1328 he consecrated the high altar and then started raising funds from the diocese to complete the nave, of which only the first bay had been completed. He was assisted by master mason,
Thomas Witney Thomas Witney or Thomas of Witney (''fl.'' 1292–1342) was an English master mason, probably born in Witney, Oxfordshire. The first record of his work is as a mason on the building of St Stephen's Chapel, London in the years following 1292.John H ...
, who had been working on the cathedral since about 1313. After Witney's death, c.1342, the work was continued by
William Joy William Joy (fl. 1310 – 1348) was an English master mason, or architect, of the Decorated Gothic style, known for his work on several English cathedrals. Joy's cathedral work shows influences of Bristol Cathedral, and he may have originated f ...
. Grandisson's main interests for the cathedral were his own chantry chapel, some of the roof bosses (especially the one depicting
Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and the ...
's murder – a particular interest of his), and probably the
minstrel's gallery A minstrels' gallery is a form of balcony, often inside the great hall of a castle or manor house, and used to allow musicians (originally minstrels) to perform, sometimes discreetly hidden from the guests below. Notable examples *A rare example ...
. In 1335 Grandisson founded a College of Secular Canons at
Ottery St Mary Ottery St Mary, known as "Ottery", is a town and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, on the River Otter, about east of Exeter on the B3174. At the 2001 census, the parish, which includes the villages of Metcombe, F ...
in Devon, as a choir school for eight boys and a Master of Grammar, which survives today as The King's School. However, his largest project – in which he took a great personal interest – was the rebuilding and establishment as a
collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...
of the church at Ottery St Mary. Taking ten years from 1337, the rebuilding was contemporaneous with work ongoing at Exeter Cathedral and its construction mirrors several features of the cathedral. Grandisson's younger brother Otho helped fund the church and family heraldry appeared widely throughout the building, much of which has been later destroyed or restored away. Grandisson donated the tenor bell in the south tower of Exeter Cathedral. Named "Grandison" and re-cast at least three times, most recently in 1902 by
John Taylor & Co John Taylor Bell Foundry (Loughborough) Limited, trading as John Taylor & Co and commonly known as Taylor's Bell Foundry, Taylor's of Loughborough, or simply Taylor's, is the world's largest working bell foundry. It is located in Loughborough, ...
, the current bell bears the inscription "EX DONO IOHANNIS GRANDISON EPISCOPI EXON GVLIELMVS EVANS FECIT 1729". During his episcopacy, he faced a number of anticlerical movements in Devon. For example, the
Order of Brothelyngham The Order of Brothelyngham was a group of men who formed themselves into a fake religious order in the city of Exeter in 1348, perhaps as a satire against the Church, which was commonly seen as corrupt, with its priests not living according to t ...
—a fake
monastic order Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important ro ...
of 1348—regularly rode through Exeter, kidnapping both religious and laymen, and extorting money from them as ransom. He also outlawed a popular cult that was being promoted by a house of
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
s at
Frithelstock Priory Frithelstock Priory was founded in about 1220 at Frithelstock, Devon, England, by Robert de Beauchamp, Sir Robert de Beauchamp for Augustinians, Augustinian Canons Regular, as an indulgence to ensure intercessions for the repose of his soul. Wa ...
.


Death and burial

Grandisson died at Chudleigh on 16 July 1369 and was buried in the chapel on the south side of the central doorway of the west front of
Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 14 ...
, a chapel that he had caused to be built. The chapel, dedicated to
St Radegund Radegund ( la, Radegundis; also spelled ''Rhadegund, Radegonde, or Radigund''; 520 – 13 August 587) was a Thuringian princess and Frankish queen, who founded the Abbey of the Holy Cross at Poitiers. She is the patron saint of several churche ...
, was defaced and his tomb was destroyed, probably early in the 16th century.


Surviving works of art

There survive two
ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...
s and a
diptych A diptych (; from the Greek δίπτυχον, ''di'' "two" + '' ptychē'' "fold") is any object with two flat plates which form a pair, often attached by hinge. For example, the standard notebook and school exercise book of the ancient world w ...
made in England in the 1330s for private devotion and inscribed with the emblems of John Grandisson as Bishop of Exeter. One of them, now known as the '' John Grandisson Triptych'', held at the
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
in London, is considered a masterpiece of English mediaeval carving.triptych / religious/ritual equipment
British Museum, retrieved 7 December 2013
The diptych is in the
Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the '' Venus de Milo''. A central ...
Museum in Paris. An important
psalter A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters w ...
known as the Grandisson Psalter, owned by Bishop Grandisson, survives in the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...
in London. It records Grandisson's death and the fact that he bequeathed it to royalty. When Grandisson's looted tomb was reopened in 1956, a small enamelled gold ring was discovered. It shows the
Virgin and child In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent ...
and has similarities with enamels created in Paris around the 1330s. It has been suggested that as it is too small to be worn over a glove it may have been one of his most treasured possessions, probably worn hidden from view on his little finger.


Notes


References


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grandisson, John Bishops of Exeter 1369 deaths Archdeacons of Nottingham
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
14th-century Italian Roman Catholic bishops People from Herefordshire Burials at Exeter Cathedral Younger sons of barons 1292 births